Conscious Crumbs and Sesame Peanut Cucumber Salad

When I quit my big girl job in 2008, my resignation didn’t feel like the climactic point that it turned out to be. I told everyone it was just a break. And I meant it. I had every intention of returning to the corporate world with a job that filled me with a stronger sense of purpose, but I wasn’t in a rush. Corporate America would always be there. So I put my shiny MBA on a shelf and with my husband Greg’s support and wild enthusiasm, I started working on the book that had been rattling around in my head for twenty years.

I immediately discovered the perks of working from home. Topping my list was cooking—anytime, anything my heart desired. The kitchen had always been my place to unwind from the tangles of the day. As a business traveler, I’d often return home from a trip, leave my unpacked bags at the bottom of the stairs and head straight to the kitchen, anxious to try the latest Saveur Magazine recipes that I’d devoured on the plane. Unfortunately, the perks became distractions and finding the discipline needed for the sedentary lifestyle of a writer was challenging.

I kept writing. (The first draft of my book is complete, and I’m slowly muscling my way through a second draft.) And I kept experimenting in the kitchen, sharing many of my recipes and stories here with you. Family, then friends, then mere acquaintances began asking me for advice and hands-on lessons—bread making, canning, pizza, pies. It was humbling, because I didn’t consider myself to be an expert in the kitchen.

One day I was teaching a friend how to make bread. She was wrist deep in sticky dough and beaming with satisfaction and pride. It was as though I could watch her love for cooking and her kitchen confidence growing together in lock step with every turn of the dough. In that moment, I understood what I love most about cooking—sharing. Whether it’s cooking for someone, showing them how they can do it themselves, or blogging here, helping people find joy in food and their own kitchens fills me up in a way that fancy job titles and fat paychecks never could.

So four years after I jumped ship, it was time for another big change and a paycheck. And this time I knew exactly what I wanted to do. In July Conscious Crumbs became more than just my Twitter handle–it’s now the name of my business, offering in-home cooking lessons, kitchen organization workshops, and personal chef services. Getting paid for doing what I love feels foreign, but the fulfillment counterbalances the awkwardness.

I still don’t think of myself as an expert–there’s so much more that I’m eager to learn and continue sharing here with you.

As for the cucumber salad, it’s the first dish I prepared after I officially launched my business. It’s laced with the tiniest bit of honey, but the memory of this salad will always be a sweet one for me.

Sesame Peanut Cucumber Salad

It’s hard to beat an ice cold cucumber salad on a hot day. Unfortunately, they can be find very one dimensional at times. This light but flavor-rich salad was inspired by Deborah Madison’s recipe for Cucumber Salad with Chile and Peanuts from her book Local Flavors. It’s a bit fussier than your standard cucumber salad, but well worth the extra five minutes it will take you to mince some ginger and zest your lime.

Ingredients

1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
1 large or a few small radishes, cut into matchsticks
1 fresh hot red chile pepper, diced (Remove the seeds for a milder salad.)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons salted and roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Fresh Thai basil, mint, or cilantro or a combination of them, chopped

Preparation

1. Place the cucumber slices, radishes, and chile pepper in a large bowl, toss to mix.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, ginger, lime zest and juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, and honey. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the cucumbers and toss until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to deepen.
3. Before serving add the sesame seeds, peanuts, and herbs and toss again.

Serves 2-3.

Here’s another nutty summery salad that I love: Arugula, Pistachio and Orange Blossom Salad